Click here to skip to main content.
scenic picture from Washington state
Subjects › Planning › Washington State Concurrency Ordinances
Updated 04/2011

Concurrency

Contents

Introduction

Concurrency is one of the goals of the Growth Management Act and refers to the timely provision of public facilities and services relative to the demand for them. To maintain concurrency means that adequate public facilities are in place to serve new development as it occurs or within a specificed time period. The Growth Management Act (GMA) gives special attention to concurrency for transportation.

The GMA requires that transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate development impacts need to be made concurrently with land development. RCW 36.70A.070(6)(b). “Concurrent with the development” is defined by the GMA to mean that any needed "improvements or strategies are in place at the time of development, or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years." RCW 36.70A.070(6)(b). Local governments have flexibility regarding how to apply concurrency within their plans, regulations, and permit systems.

As part of the requirement to develop a comprehensive plan, jurisdictions are required to establish level-of-service standards (LOS) for arterials, transit service, and other facilities. RCW 36.70A.070(6)(a). Once a jurisdiction sets an LOS, it is used to determine whether the impacts of a proposed development can be met through existing capacity and/or to decide what level of additional facilities will be required. Transportation is the only area of concurrency that specifies denial of development. However, local jurisdictions must have a program to correct existing deficiencies and bring existing transportation facilities and services up to locally adopted standards. A developer may not be required to pay for improvements to correct existing deficiencies.

Local jurisdictions may adopt a concurrency mechanism for other public facilities that are deemed necessary for development. WAC 365-196-840(2). These other facilities may include parks and recreational facilities, sanitary sewer systems, storm water facilities, and schools.  

Reference Sources

Statutes and Administrative Regulations

Selected Court and Growth Management Hearings Board Decisions

  • City of Bellevue v. E. Bellevue Cmty. Mun. Corp., 119 Wn. App. 405 (2003), review denied, 152 Wn.2d 1004, 101 P.3d 865 (2004) - Affirms the Growth Management Hearings Board's conclusion that the Bellevue ordinance, which exempted shopping center redevelopment from transportation concurrency requirements, failed to conform to the GMA's concurrency requirements, and is invalid
  • McVittie v. Snohomish County, (Adobe Acrobat Document) CPSGMHB Case No. 01-3-0002, Final Decision and Order, July 25, 2001 - Addresses transportation concurrency
  • Taxpayers for Responsible Government v. City of Oak Harbor, (Adobe Acrobat Document )WWGMHB No. 96-2-002, Final Decision and Order, July 1996 - Local governments must consider what facilities and services (in addition to transportation) are necessary to support development, but also have discretion about what facilities are subject to concurrency.
  • Wilma v. Stevens County, (Adobe Acrobat Document) EWGMHB Case No. 06-1-0009c, Final Decision and Order, March 12, 2007 - Finding that the county needs a policy in its comprehensive plan to provide for concurrency and providing general discussion on concurrency.

General Concurrency Information

City and County Code Provisions

  • Bellevue City Code Ch. 14.10 - Traffic Standards Code
  • Bellingham Municipal Code Ch. 13.70 - Multimodal Transportation Concurrency Management
  • Clark County Code Ch. 40.350.020 - Transportation Concurrency Management
  • Gig Harbor Municipal Code Ch. 19.10 - Concurrency Management () and Ch. 19.14 - Concurrency and Impact Fee Program Definitions ()
  • Kent Municipal Code Ch. 12.11 - Concurrency Management
  • King County Code Ch. 14.70 - Transportation Concurrency Management and Ch. 21A.28 - Development Standards - Adequacy of Public Facilities and Services
  • Lacey Municipal Code Ch. 14.21 - Traffic Mitigation and Concurrency
  • Puyallup Municipal Code Ch. 21.18 - Concurrency Management
  • Sammamish Municipal Code Ch. 14A.10 - Concurrency
  • Seattle Land Use Code Ch. 23.52 - Transportation Concurrency Project Review System
  • Snohomish County Code Ch. 30.66B – Concurrency and Road Impact Mitigation (in Title 30 Adobe Acrobat Document)
  • Spokane Municipal Code Ch. 17D.010 - Concurrency Certification
  • Tacoma Municipal Code Ch. 13.16 - Concurrency Management System (in Title 13 Adobe Acrobat Document)
  • Thurston County Code Ch. 17.10 - Transportation Facilities Concurrency Management System
  • Tumwater Municipal Code Ch. 15.48 - Transportation Concurrency Requirements
  • Yelm Municipal Code Ch. 15.40 - Concurrency Management
  • Zillah Municipal Code Ch. 17.10 - Transportation Concurrency Review (Adobe Acrobat Document).

Local Government Concurrency Information and Documents